Drains have been used in bathroom environments for many decades. They are typically connected, via a trap, to a water disposal system such as a city sewer system or to a septic tank or field positioned in the vicinity of the facility.
One type of drain that has become increasingly popular is a linear drain configuration. Linear drains, such as those used in a shower, have become popular for aesthetic reasons. This is due to the fact that a linear wall drain will “hide” the drain pipe while allowing water to escape from the shower via an elongated opening that would typically be located at the base of a wall. This elongated opening is not overtly apparent and when viewed from an angle (e.g., from eye level), it fades from view, especially when darker colored tile or marble is used to cover the surfaces of the shower. It is aesthetically pleasing to cover the linear wall drain with the same tile or marble that is used to cover the surfaces of shower such that the wall drain is substantially invisible on casual inspection.
A drawback of linear wall drains is the difficulty in keeping the drain clean and clear of debris. Most wall drains have pan into which the water from the shower will fall and then exit through an opening in the bottom of the pan. But the pan, as well as other parts of the linear drain can become dirty and need to be wiped down and sanitized as well has having debris removed that may become lodged therein. This is a difficult task where the opening to the linear wall drain is designed to be very low profile so that it is difficult to see on casual examination. This in turn means that the linear opening will be very narrow and just big enough to allow for the free flow of water from the shower into the pan. Such and opening does not allow for access for cleaning the pan in any meaningful way.
One approach has been to provide a face plate that can be removed to open a larger area so that the interior of the linear drain can be accessed. One configuration provided by Quick Drain USA allows for a tile cover to be detachably affixed to the face of the linear drain as shown. http://www.quickdrainusa.com/products/wall-drain/walld48/ A major drawback of this design, however, is that the device is difficult to install. For example, the magnets are shown positioned on an outer face of the “TileIn Cover”, which are then covered by “Transition Tape.” This is then supposed to be covered by “Thin Set” and then the “Tile” to be placed over that. This renders the magnets inaccessible underneath the tile. Additionally, the uneven surface that the magnets present make it difficult to set the tile in a smooth and even manner.
Another problem with that configuration is that when face plate is removed, it is important that the opening granting access to the interior of the drain present only smooth (e.g., rounded or beveled) edges for the device otherwise when a person puts their hand into the drain, they will cut their hand. Additionally, it is also important to minimize any edge or surface that could present a collection point for debris.